Record donation figures and broadening of Software Donation Program

Microsoft Australia reached new heights with the Software Donation Program last financial year donating more than $40 million dollars’ worth of software to an increasing number of community organisations. This amazing outcome is a 20 percent increase on last year’s already impressive figure.

This comes at a time when Microsoft also announced updates to its program to make it even easier for non-profit organisations to access affordable technology. The program, which has already provided over $120 million worth of software in Australia since Microsoft’s non-profit partner, Connecting Up, and their DonorTec program began in 2007* will now include:

• An expansion in the number of different Microsoft software products that can be requested to allow non-profits to get what they need.• Three new categories of non-profit organisations are now eligible for software donations, including medical research organisations, private foundations and amateur sports and recreational organisations.• A new Get Genuine offering so non-profits can ensure their existing computers are running genuine versions of Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system.• The ability to request a software donation from the DonorTec program whenever they need it instead of the previous limit of only one request per year.

Making technology more accessible enables non-profits to increase their productivity, reach more people and deliver new, improved services which directly help local communities.

While we already help thousands of organisations every year, we want to help more, and the changes we’re announcing today are designed to make the program more relevant and accessible to a larger number of organisations.

* In 2007 Microsoft partnered with TechSoup Global’s Australian nonprofit partner, Connecting Up, and their DonorTec program to ensure an even greater uptake of the Microsoft Software Donation initiatives.